I Love You, More
by Defygravity09
Summary: 4 years after graduation, the glee kids reunite in Lima, Ohio. Everything is going great until Rachel receives a phone call that will change her life. This is not a Puckleberry story, but there are hints of Rachel and Puck.
1. Chapter 1

I am standing in front of the full length mirror in my old bedroom at my dads' house. Yes, Rachel Berry is back in town. Lima, Ohio hasn't changed that much since I left four years ago. Kurt and I are still roommates in New York. Santana moved out the minute Brittany moved into town. We have weekly dinners.

I hate to admit it but once I got to know Santana, she became one of my best friends. I haven't seen or heard from anyone else since high school. I have no idea what they are up too, hence, why I am here in Lima. We are having a reunion this year, just us Glee kids. I check my reflection one last time before grabbing my purse and heading out the door.

I swing by the Hummel residence to pick Kurt up, since we drove down in my car. I asked him to stay with me at my dads' but his father wouldn't have anything to do with that idea and insisted that he stay with them. Once I arrive and park the car, I make my way to the door. Before I can knock, the door flies open and I am immediately pulled into a bone crushing hug.

"Rachel Berry!"

"Hello, Burt. How have you been?" I ask, being pulled inside.

"I have been wonderful. So I see the Big Apple is treating you well, Ms. I-Am-Up-For-A-Tony-This-Year. I am so proud of you Rach!"

"Thanks, Burt. That means a lot to me. Is Kurt ready?" I change the subject. I'm in no mood to discuss that topic, I am just too damn nervous.

"I'm not sure but you can head to his room. You remember where it is, right?"

"Sure. Thanks."

I make my way to Kurt's room to find him standing in front of his mirror, panicking. I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist.

"Calm down. It's going to be okay. What is the problem? Are you nervous because Blaine is going to be there and you don't want to tell him about Jeremy?"

"No, but now I am, thanks Rae!" He pulls out of my embrace.

"Sorry. So what's wrong?"

"I can't decide on what shirt to wear. I have gone through about five."

I step over to his suitcase and begin to look through his shirts. I grab the first one I see. It's a black button down shirt, casual yet formal at the same time. Plus it matches my little black dress. He puts it on and begins to shake his head.

"What, still not the one?" I ask, worried. We only have 15 minutes to get to Breadstix.

"No, it is perfect. I just don't understand how the girl who used to wear animal print sweaters and argyle can walk into my room and pick out the perfect shirt in less than five minutes."

"Well, I've had help these past four years." I reply with a smile on my face.

"True. So are you ready?"

I nod. We make our way into Breadstix. It's not that crowded for a Friday night. I spot our group right away; all I had to do was look for the Mohawk. Before we get into the restaurant for good, Santana yells across the room.

"Well, look who decided to grace us with their presence, Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum."

"Nice to see you too, Satan." I reply, hugging her.

"Hey Rachel. Kurt." Blaine says with the roll of his eyes, and excuses himself, stating some former business deal he forgot about.

"KURT!" Mercedes runs up to us, wrapping her arms around Kurt.

"Hey, Cedes." Kurt replies with a crazy smile on his face.

I make my way to the chair next to Noah. I lean over, giving him a quick hug. After all of us had said hello and placed our orders, we begin to discuss our new lives. Mercedes is still in Los Angeles, she now has a record deal of her own and her debut album should be out sometime next year. Sam is working in a standup comedy club in Los Angeles doing his famous impersonations of the stars for the stars, which were constants at his shows. Mercedes and Sam are still together and expecting their first child in 6 months. Finn is still in the Army, stationed in Ft. Benning, Georgia. He's seeing this girl from a town smaller than Lima, but it isn't anything serious. Quinn graduated Yale, top of her class, and is now working at a small law firm in Pennsylvania. Puck lives in California with his successful pool business but is planning on moving to New York in a month or so to try his hand at writing musicals and plays. Kurt is still at Vogue, except he is no longer an intern; he is Izzy's right hand man. She doesn't make any decision without asking Kurt his thought on the matter. Uh oh, it is my turn.

"So Rachel, we heard you were nominated for a Tony." Santana states. I could kill her; she knows I do not care to talk about this.

I send a glare her way. "Yes, I am."

"You don't seem too excited, Diva." Mercedes observes.

"I guess I am, but I am so nervous. I mean I want to win but I do not believe that I should peak this early in my career. I do not believe I have earned it yet."

"Of course you have, Jew-Princess. If anyone deserves it, it should be you." Puck says, smiling, and placing his hand on my thigh.

"So can we change the sub –" I'm interrupted by my phone ringing. I glance at it and it's a number I don't recognize. "I need to take this, I will be right back." I step outside of the restaurant, and notice that Kurt has his eyes on me the entire time.

"Hello. Rachel Berry speaking."

"Yes, Ms. Berry. I hate to bother you but we need you to come to Lima Memorial as soon as you can please."

"Why? Is everything okay?" I ask, my voice shaking.

"We have a Shelby Corcoran that was just brought in, you are her emergency contact."

I feel my heart stop. Shelby. I haven't seen her since high school. Why am I her emergency contact? "Um, okay. How bad is it? I mean will she live?"

"We are not sure. She is having a hard time breathing on her own. She is in the OR right now to see if we could stop the internal bleeding. Just please, can you come down here. I would prefer to discuss this in person."

"Yeah. Sure. What about her daughter, is she alright?"

"Ma'am there was no one in the car with her, so I am assuming she is fine."

"Okay, thank you Dr. um sorry, your name?"

"Stevens. Dr. Anna Stevens."

"Yes. Dr. Stevens. I will be there soon." I make my way into the restaurant and pull Kurt aside. "Shelby. Accident. Internal bleeding. Lima Memorial. Not Sure." This is all I can get out before the tears come. Shit, why am I crying? She left me. But she is my mother. Ugh! Kurt nods and wraps his arm around me and leads me to my car. He puts me in the passenger side, sends a quick text to Mercedes to let her know where we're going, and then pulls out of the parking lot.

Once we're inside the emergency room, I go to the information desk. "Dr. Stevens, please."

"Hi, Ms. Berry?" a young brunette doctor makes her way to where I'm standing. She holds her hand out for me to shake.

"How is she?" I ask, shaking her hand.

"She is still in surgery, but we will let you know as soon as she is awake and able to have visitors."

"So she will wake up?" I ask.

"Yes, but we aren't sure for how long."

"Okay. Thank you." I sit down in the waiting area and bury my head in my hands. I begin sobbing and all Kurt can do for me is rub my back. About ten minutes later, the group from dinner shows up and surrounds me. We sit in silence for a little over an hour.

"Ms. Berry?" Doctor Stevens calls out to get my attention. "She is awake. You can see her now."


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! Thanks for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews. Like I told a couple of you…I will post a chapter once I have the chapter after it written. For example, I am posting chapter 2 so chapter 3 is written. I will post chapter 3 when I have finished chapter 4. The plan is to have an update once a week, at least. **

**I have not written in forever, at least a couple of years, so I want to give a shout out to my amazing Beta ****hayleynymphadora****. **

**Anyway, on with the story…enjoy! **

I make my way to my mother's room. She is lying on the bed hooked to all of the machines, and she looks so helpless. I feel my heart begin to ache for her. _No! Rachel, she doesn't deserve your sympathy._ I walk over to her side; her green eyes find my brown ones and a look of confusion and relief falls over her face.

"Rachel?" She asks, her voice raspy.

"It's me, Shelby." I respond, looking away from her.

"Thank you for coming baby." She reaches her hand out for my hand. I don't take it.

"Don't, Shelby, just don't. This changes nothing. I only came to see what needs to be done." She nods, tears pooling her eyes.

"I understand, Rachel."

I pull a chair up next to her and sit down; letting out a breath I wasn't aware I was holding. I have no idea what I am doing. The silence is killing me. _Say something, Rachel. Anything. _I think to myself.

"Why?" _Oh good going. You mother is possibly dying and you are choosing now to bring up the past? _ Looking up, I see she is thinking about her answer.

"I was scared, Rachel. I was so scared. Like I said that day at Regionals, I wanted a family. I have a family now but there is still something missing. It took me forever to figure out that what I truly wanted was right in front of me the entire time and I was just too foolish to see it. I want, no, I _need_ you, Rachel. I always have." She pauses. I finally make eye contact to see if there is any accuracy in what she is saying. She looks like she means it.

"Then why? Why didn't you ever tell me that? Hell, Shelby, it has been 6 years since Regionals. Why did it take you being in this shape to tell me how you feel? I needed my mom back then. You had missed out on so much, yet you are missing out on so much more." Tears began to fall, slowly, and then I can't hold back anymore, I begin to sob. Shelby doesn't say anything, she reaches for my hand one more time, and this time I don't pull away. I get up and carefully hug my mother for the first time in years; she hugs back with more strength than I thought she would have. A knock at the door brings us back to reality; I look up to see Dr. Stevens.

"Hello, Ms. Corcoran. Ms. Berry." We both nod at the same time, my hand never letting go of hers. "We have some good news. It appears that everything is going great. We have a few tests we need to run in the morning, but everything is looking fine. If all goes well, you should be out of here in a couple of days."

"Thank you so much, doctor." Shelby said, with a few tears slipping down her face. I reach over to wipe a few stray tears, before enveloping her into a tight embrace. "Baby, as much as I am enjoying this, I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

I nod, "anything."

"Can you call the sitter for me and ask her to bring Beth here so I can tell her good night and I can talk to the sitter about keeping her over night?" I am not going to lie, Shelby asking about Beth, stung a little. I mean I understand she is her 'daughter' but still. We were having such a good conversation. I don't want her coming in and ruining the progress we are making.

"Sure, what's the number?" I get the number from Shelby and make my way into the waiting room. I fill everyone in, and then turn to Quinn and Puck. "Shelby has asked me to call the sitter and have Beth brought up here. I am not sure how you feel about this but I wanted to let you know she will be here soon." Quinn's face turns ghost white and I notice her reach down for Noah's hand.

"Does Shelby mind if we see her?" Noah asked.

"I am not sure, but I should ask her, give me one minute." I begin to walk to Shelby's room when a hand stops me. I turn and am now face to face with Quinn.

"I think, maybe, we should ask her. I mean, can we go with you?" I nod. Once we reach the door, I ask them to wait one moment.

"Shelby, I have two people who need to ask you something. Can I bring them in to see you?"

"Sure."

Quinn and Noah walk in the room. Shelby immediately looks at me, and I give a small smile.

"Hey, Mrs. C." Noah states, breaking the silence. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, how about you?" She asks him as if we are not in a hospital room. He smirks and nods his head.

"Look, I know that Beth is on her way here and we were just wondering if it was okay if we stuck around to be there for Rachel and also see Beth." Quinn cut to the chase.

Shelby takes a moment to make her decision. "I don't see why that would be a problem. I mean Beth knows that she was adopted, but she doesn't know who her parents are. So I don't mind you sticking around as long as you don't mention it to her. I would like to be the one to tell her, please." I look to see Quinn shaking her head in an understanding way. Noah looks like he doesn't want to listen to Shelby's rule.

"Thank you, Mrs. Corcoran. I won't say anything to her, promise." Quinn states before leaving the room, dragging Noah with her.

"I will send Beth back here when she arrives. I am going to find some coffee."

"Thanks, Rachel." I close the door softly behind me, and head for the cafeteria. Standing in front of the coffee machine, trying to decide which flavor I want, my mind begins to drift to the events of the day. I come to town as a get together for my friends, then I find out not only is Shelby still in town, but I am her emergency contact, Shelby has been in a wreck and she is fine for now. We seem to have worked through everything but I am still not sure where we stand. I don't want to get my hopes up, just for her to walk out of my life again, after she's better. Then there's Beth. Is she going to be accepting of me? Will Shelby still want to fix things with me once Beth gets here? Ugh, why does all of this have to be so damn confusing? I'm startled by a hand rubbing my back, and I turn around to find Noah looking at me as if he heard the conversation going on inside my head. The look he is giving me is so soft, for such a badass he sure does know how to read people. I wrap my arms around his stomach and give a tight squeeze, he returns the gesture. When I pull away I notice that his shirt is wet, I have been crying. He leads me over to a table in the corner.

"Would you like to talk?"

"I don't know what to say, Noah. I am just so confused. That's all."

"Start at the beginning, Rach. What happened in the room with you and Shelby?"

"She apologized for walking out on me. She told me that by adopting Beth, she was hoping to fill a hole in her heart, but it didn't. That what she needed all along was in front of her, and she was too stupid to notice it. She loves Beth, but needs me too."

"That's great, Rachel. I mean isn't this what you've wanted since junior year?"

"I guess, but I am just not sure if she means it this time or not, ya know? How can I trust her?"

"You can't. However, you can try to trust her. Just don't give her all of you. Make her work for this relationship."

"When did you get to be so smart, Noah Puckerman?" I smiled.

"I've always been smart, my Jew-princess." He pulls me in for another hug before we go back to the waiting room. I notice a small brunette girl at the nurse's desk.

"I am here for Shelby Corcoran. This is her daughter, Beth."

I make my way over to the pair. "Hello, I am Rachel Berry. You must be Beth's sitter."

"Hey, yes I am. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Shelby was in an accident but she is fine now. If you would like I can take you and Beth back to her room. She's waiting for you."

"That would be wonderful. Come on Beth. I am Marley, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Marley. You too, Beth." Beth smiles and hides behind Marley. Once we make it to Shelby's door, I turn to leave them to it. Beth catches my eye.

"I know who you are. You are Rachel Berry. You sing, right?"

"Yes, I am." My heart stops. Has Shelby mentioned me before?

"Momma has a picture of you on our piano. She says you are a fantastic singer. You are her favorite." And with that they head into the room. I smile to myself; maybe just maybe Shelby does mean it this time.

I make my way back to the waiting room to find everyone still there. I plop down on the hard chair and let out a sigh.

"I am so sorry, everyone. This has ruined the day. If you all would like to leave, you can. I understand." I say, tiredly.

"Are you kidding, Diva? We are not leaving you. So what if we are not eating, we are all still together." Mercedes spoke for the group; everyone was nodding their heads accordingly.

"Thanks." We sat there in silence for what seemed like forever. All of a sudden a blood curdling scream shakes me from my thoughts. Beth. I get up and make my way down the hallway to the noise. Everyone is right behind me. Marley meets the group with Beth in her arms, screaming. I look behind them seeing nurses and Dr. Stevens flooding into my mom's room.

"Take me back! Marley, she needs me. Mommy! Mommy! I WANT MY MOM!" Beth is fighting in Marley's arms. Noah reaches out to take the little girl. He begins to take her back to the waiting room, kicking and screaming the whole time.

"What happened in there?" Quinn asks protectively.

"Beth was sitting on the bed with Shelby talking, while I sat off to the side reading my book. I heard Beth scream and when I looked up Shelby was seizing. That's when I grabbed Beth and began to drag her out of the room. She is so scared. I need to go check on her." With that Marley walked off with Quinn in tow. I glanced at Santana and Brittany and motioned for them to follow her to make sure nothing was said.

Mercedes and Kurt grabbed a hand each and we made our way to the room. I took a deep breath and opened the door. Before I could see anything, a nurse came out. She pulled us over to the side.

"You can't go in there."

"She is my mother, how are you going to tell me I can't go see about her?" I ask angrily.

"I understand, Ms. Berry. I will fill you in on what is happening, but that's all I can do for you right now." She paused for a moment. "Ms. Corcoran had a seizure. Right now we are not sure what caused it. Dr. Stevens is about to take her down for a MRI and CAT scan. She believes there may be some bleeding they missed. You mother is unconscious right now. There is nothing you can do but go back to the waiting room and wait. I promise you Dr. Stevens or myself will be out to explain more as soon as we know what is going on, okay?"

I nod. It's all a daze. They had just told us everything was fine and now, two hours later, they aren't sure what is happening. Before I know it, I'm sitting on the couch in the room with a cup of coffee in hand. I glance around the room. Mercedes is sitting with Sam, praying. Brittany is holding onto Santana for dear life. Quinn is staring off into space. Beth has fallen asleep in Noah's arms with Marley holding her little hand. I notice then how much she looks like Quinn. Kurt is sitting to my right, watching my every move. I give him a little smile and he reaches over and pats my leg as I lay my head on his shoulder.

"Berry?" I see the nurse making her way towards us. I get up, meeting her half way. "Ms. Corcoran's brain is bleeding. Dr. Stevens didn't notice any bleeding the first time around, however, the MRI showed that there was an aneurism at the base of her brain, and it seems to have ruptured. We have clipped the aneurism and hopefully she will recover, however, there was a lot of blood. She is still unconscious for now, and for a better chance of recovery, she needs to stay that way."

"Oh god. But she will make it, right?"

"To be honest, only time will tell. She should be brought back up to her room within the hour. You can see her then, but we would like to keep it family only."

"Okay, thank you." I felt myself take a shaky breath to steady myself before announcing the news to everyone else. Just as I begin to turn around the nurse stops me.

"Ms. Berry? I know we don't know much right now but it probably would be best to say your goodbyes, just in case."


	3. Chapter 3 -Something like a relationship

**Thank you all so much for the amazing reviews, and the favorites and follows. It means so much that you all like this story. The next 2 chapters were the hardest to write.**

"What are you implying?"

"Well, I've been at this job for quite some time, honey. I have seen numerous cases just like your mother's. I have seen full recoveries and then I have seen them not recover and the family never gets to say goodbye. They either die unexpectedly or the family has to make the decision on whether or not to take their loved ones off of the machines. So if I were in your spot, I would make sure I said my goodbyes now just in case something was to happen." The nurse turns and walks away.

I am standing there until I can no longer see the nurse. Noah walks up to me and pulls me into his arms.

"Everything okay, Rach?"

"She thinks we should say our goodbyes to Shelby. She said it doesn't mean she is going to die but in cases like this, it is so unpredictable. She could make a full recovery or never come back to us."

"Well, do what you have to do Rachel, but I am telling you, your mom is a fighter, and a damn good one at that. I believe that she will make a full recovery and come out of her coma or whatever demanding to go home. "

"Maybe you are right. But I think I will talk to Beth and her sitter and explain to them what is going on. I am going to say my goodbyes but I will leave it up to Beth whether or not she does the same."

He nodded as we walk back to the waiting room. Everyone looks to me as soon as we approach.

"Marley, can I talk to you privately please?" I ask. She nods and follows me into a little room off of the waiting room.

"What's going on?" I hear her ask.

After what seems like forever, I collect my thoughts. "Shelby, my mother, may not recover. She is out of surgery but is still unconscious. The nurse said that she recommends that Beth and I say our goodbyes." I pause to compose myself. "She said that just because she is saying that doesn't mean that Shelby won't make a full recovery, but she has seen many cases like this where the patient just dies unexpectedly or where the family has to take them off of life support. I wanted to tell you because you know Beth better than I do, hell I didn't even know Shelby was still in Lima. I will let Beth go last, I am not sure yet what I want to say to her. Also, before I make any decisions, I want to talk with you and Beth. I am the emergency contact so I will be the one to make the final decision, but this is Beth's mom so I believe she should have a say so, you know?"

Marley is in tears by the time I finish rambling. "I understand, Rachel. I know who you are, Shelby and I have talked about you many times. I must say I am a huge fan. She told me about you before I started babysitting for her. She loves you, Rachel. She just doesn't know how to show it, but everytime she talked about you her face lit up. I appreciate you wanting to include Beth and myself in this decision. They are the only family I have, I have gotten so close to that little girl in there. I will talk to Beth, but I would like you to be in there with me, please."

_Shelby talked about me? She told Marley about me? She loves me? _I nod as she goes to get Beth. They got back too soon for me. I don't want to tell a six year old she has to tell her mother goodbye. UGH.

"Hey Rachel, what are they saying about mommy?" Beth asks. I look to Marley, I can't do this. I lean against the wall and listen to Marley tell Beth exactly what I told her a few moments before. Beth hit the floor in tears. I face the wall as I let my tears fall, this is not fair. Not to Beth. Not to Marley. Not to me.

"Rachel," I hear Beth call out to me.

'Yes, sweetie?"

"When do I have to tell my mommy bye?" Her voice is so strong and determined

"I am not sure. I will go find out." How is it possible that this six year old is stronger than I am? I mean I am holding on by a string and she is ready to face this head on. I excuse myself to find the nurse. "Hi, when would be a good time to say our goodbyes? Also, what is your protocol on life support?"

"You can go see her whenever, just keep it to family though. As for life support, I am not sure what you are asking, honey."

"Is she brain dead?"

"As of right now, we are not sure. There is still a lot of swelling, once that goes down, we will know more."

"So as of right now, she is just in a small medical coma?"

"Yes, just to let the swelling go down. The doctor will know more in the morning."

"Okay, thanks." I breathe a sigh of relief. So she may not be as gone as we think. I get back to Beth and bend down to her level. I grab both of her hands in mine and give her a little smile. "I am going to talk to you like an adult, okay? You are a very smart and strong little girl and I believe that your mom would talk to you like an adult as well."

She nods. "She always treats me like a grown up. She says I am smart, too."

"Well, she is right." I smile again. "Your mom might make it. I think it would be best to hold off on the goodbyes until morning. They aren't even sure what is going on right now. They will know in the morning if she is brain dead in the morning or if it is just the medically induced coma. I don't want us to get our hopes up that she will be fine, but I don't want us assuming the worst either, okay? Do you want to go see her? You can still talk to her now. She won't respond, but she can hear you."

"That's good news, I guess. So she isn't dead?"

"No, she is not."

"Okay, will you take me to her?"

"Sure thing, kiddo." Beth and I walk into shelby's room. She has a breathing tube and is hooked up to even more machines. I pause at the door but Beth goes in and climbs up in the bed with Shelby.

"Come on, Rachel." I sit in the chair next to the bed. "She is your mommy, too. You need to be here also."

My mouth drops open. I didn't tell her about Shelby being my mother. She hasn't mentioned it before. "H-how did you know that?"

"Marley told me while you were talking to the nurse. I thought you were someone important the way mommy talks about you." She says this like it is no big deal.

"How do you feel about this, Beth?"

"I think it is cool. My sister, you are like my sister right?" I nod. "Right, so my sister is a Broadway actress who is up for a Tony." I ruffle her hair and smile because I have no words for this situation. I can't believe the love I have for this little girl I have only known for a few hours.

Beth and I stay in the room with Shelby for about an hour. I decide that I need to go tell everyone else what is going on and to send them home. Kurt is at my side as soon as I enter the room.

"I want to start off by thanking you all for coming and sticking around here all night. You really didn't have too. Shelby had a brain aneurysm so she was rushed to surgery. They clipped it but there was so much blood lost. There is so much swelling right now so they aren't sure what the state of her brain is as of now. The nurse said we will find out more in the morning. She said there is a possibility that she may not come back to us, but then again she could wake right up and be okay. It is just a waiting game right now. Also, only family is allowed in the back to see her. Marley is going to take Beth back home in a little bit, that is what Shelby had asked before the seizure. I will be staying here tonight. You are more than welcome to stay, but it is not necessary as I will be in the room with Shelby."

They all surround me as soon as I finish and we form this weird group hug. Sam and Mercedes are the first to leave, after I promise them I will call as soon as I know something. Finn leaves soon after them. Quinn leaves next after giving Marley her number in case she needs help with Beth. I finally talk Santana and Brittany into leaving, but they said they would be back first thing in the morning. Kurt is going to my house to get me some comfortable clothes and to inform my dads what has happened. Noah hangs back to talk for a minute.

"Rach, I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. I know I keep saying sorry, but I just don't know what else to say."

"It's okay. If Beth can stay strong, I can too. Plus I have an amazing group of friends around me, to support me."

"I know, Jew-babe. If you need anything I will do it. Just call okay?"

"Alright. I will. Thanks Noah." He leans in and gives me a small peck on my cheek.

"See you in the A.M." He walks out the door.

"Alright, kiddo. I will see you in the morning. Remember, if you need to talk tonight or whatever, just call me okay?"

"Okay, Rach. I will be back first thing in the morning."

"I know you will be. Have a good night."

"You too, sissy. Take care of Mommy."

"I will. Good night Marley."

"Good night, Rachel. Call if anything changes, I am sure I will be up all night with this one." She nods in Beth's direction.

Once everyone has left I make my way back to my mom's room and wait on Kurt to get back with my clothes. It's just me and my thoughts. _God, this was supposed to be a good trip. Why did this have to happen? No, Rachel, you will not think negatively. Mom will be fine. Mom, I like the sound of that. She can't die yet. I haven't been able to say that enough yet. We have unfinished business to take care of, something like a relationship. _


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thank you all so much for the reviews and favorites. You don't know how much they mean to me. This chapter is by far one of the most difficult things I have ever written. I know I have said that I wanted to be one chapter ahead before I post, but I figured I kept you all waiting long enough. I am working on the next chapter, it just isn't finished. So without further ado here is chapter 4…enjoy.**

I feel my body being shaken and I can hear my name being whispered. I finally decided to open my eyes and Kurt is in my face, I jump and grab my chest.

"Dammit Kurt, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, Rae. Here are some sweats and your toiletries. Anything happen while I was gone?"

"Thanks. No, she hasn't moved at all. The only noise in the room is these damn machines. Are Dad and Daddy mad?" I ask cautiously.

"No, they understand. They said to call them the instant something happens."

"Alright. Thank you again for doing this for me. Are you sure you want to stay, I mean I'm not sure how comfy the couch is, I haven't laid on it."

"Of course, Diva. I wouldn't leave your side even if you were forcing me too. I don't care about the couch. Now, why don't you go get changed and showered and I will stay here and watch you mother like a hawk and make sure everything stays the way it is now."

"Alrighty. I don't expect her to be too much trouble." I laughed for the first time in hours. I know this isn't a funny situation but sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from crying, right? Plus, it reminded me of that scene in Titanic when Jack was handcuffed to the pole and says "I'll just wait here", like really Jack? Where else are you going to go? How else is my mom going to cause trouble? Anyway, I drag myself out of my thoughts to go change.

After a quick shower and freshening up, I return to find Kurt lay out on the couch reading his latest gossip magazine.

"Hey. Feel better?" He asks, noticing I have returned.

"Much. Anything interesting happening in the entertainment world?"

"Well, Page 6 totally took my headline story for Izzy's blog, so now I am going to have to come up with another story, but oh well. I'm sure I can find something to write about."

"You always do."

I sit in a chair next to mom's bed and grab her hand. "I know you will wake up. I know that you will be better; it is just going to take some time. You are strong, mom, and you are needed here. You can't leave us just yet. Beth needs you, Marley needs you. I need you, mom. So have a good night's rest and I look forward to seeing you in the morning. I love you." I place a kiss on her cheek before wrapping up in a blanket the night nurse brought in and falling asleep.

The next time I wake up it is because I hear people talking. I stretch and rub the sleep out of my eyes.

"Good morning, Ms. Berry." The nurse greets me.

"Please, call me Rachel."

"Okay, Rachel. I am sorry to have woken you up but we need to take Ms. Corcoran down to the MRI and CAT scan to check on the swelling of her brain. She should be gone a little less than an hour."

"Okay. I am going to go grab some coffee from the cafeteria."

She nods and walks out. I walk over to Kurt and begin shaking him awake. He slowly begins to open his eyes.

"Good morning sunshine." I say once his eyes are focused. "I am heading down to get some coffee, would you like to go with me?"

"Sure, where is Shelby?"

"They took her for some tests to check on the swelling of her brain."

He gets up and pulls me into a hug. "It will be fine, Rae, I just know it."

"I know, let's go. I have a feeling I will need this later."

As we are returning to mom's floor, I see Marley and Beth walking toward the room.

"Marley! Beth!" I yell to get their attention. Beth comes running over, followed by Marley.

"Hey Rachie!" _Rachie? That's new._

"Hey kiddo. Sleep well?"

"I slept okay. What about you?"

"Yes. They took mom downstairs for her tests so that we will know what is going on, they should be back soon." Marley nods and we make our way back to the room to find they have already brought her back. The nurse smiles at us.

"I am taking it that it is good news?" I hear Marley ask.

"I know nothing, ma'am. The doctor should be in shortly. I will let him know you are back." And with that she walks out. I watch as Beth walks over to mom's side and crawls in the bed, straddling her legs. She begins talking about nonsense as if mom is going to respond. I can't help but to fear the worst. Just as I get comfortable in the chair Doctor Stevens walks in and I get up again.

"Hello, Doctor."

"Good morning, everyone," She replies. "Ms. Berry can I speak with you outside?"

My heart picks up. Why would she want to meet with me outside? Oh God, I can feel myself losing it. I grab Marley's hand on the way out and pull her with me.

"Kurt, stay with the kiddo please. We are going to talk just outside." He nods and gives me a small smile.

"Follow me please. I would like to take you to my office." _Really is this necessary? _"Have a seat, ladies." We sit down and wait for her to start explaining. She looks at me, then at Marley, then back to me. I hear her take in a deep breath and release it slowly.

"Rachel, there is no easy way to tell you this so I am just going to say it." I reach over for Marley's hand. "Ms. Corcoran has quite a bit of brain damage due to the loss of blood and oxygen. She is on life support. This is where it gets tricky. You need to call her lawyer to see if she has a will and if it states anything about resuscitation. If it does, we will allow you to say your goodbyes and then take her off the machines. If it doesn't, since you are her next of kin, the decision is yours."

"What about Beth? Isn't she next of kin?"

"Yes, she is too; however, she is not over the legal age of 18, so it is your choice."

"Okay. If we take her off of the machines, what are her survival rates? Like will she die immediately?"

"That is hard to say, every case is different."

"Okay, thank you." I get up to leave. I am handling this very well. Maybe because I have talked myself into knowing that this was going to happen. Once out of Dr. Steven's office I pull Marley into a hug. She has been quietly crying through all of this.

"We need to tell Beth." She finally says.

"Yes, I know, but I would like to find out about the will first so that we can go into that conversation knowing what we need to say. Whether we need to tell her to say goodbye or whether or not we need to discuss what we are going to do. How long we will give Mom to come back."

"You are so right, Rachel. I have her lawyer's information; let me get it for you." It didn't take long to get ahold of her lawyer. He read over the will and there was no clause for DNR, so he told me that it was my choice. _Fuck!_

We make our way back to the room. I sit down and tell Beth to come sit with me. Kurt gets up to leave, and I shake my head so he sits back down.

"Kiddo, I am going to talk to you just like I did yesterday. I am going to be straight up with you, alright? If it gets to be too much, let me know and I will take a break, okay?" She just nods, so I continue. "I talked to Dr. Stevens just now about Mom's tests. She said that when mom had the aneurysm, she lost a lot of blood and during surgery her brain lost a lot of oxygen, so she is brain dead which means that while she is here, she will not wake up. She will just stay asleep. She has to stay on the breathing machine because her brain is no longer able to tell her how and when to breath. Okay?" She nods again. I take a moment to collect myself before springing the worst on her. "Beth, it is our choice whether or not we leave Mom on the machines and let her stay asleep but alive or if we want to turn the machines off so that she can leave us."

"You mean so she can die?" She asks, shocking me.

"Yes, kiddo, so she can die. Now, since I am over 18, I have to tell the doctor what we want to do, but I will not make any decision without asking you about it first, okay?"

"Okay, Rachel." She looks over at Marley. "Mar, are you going to help us make the decision?"

Marley looks over at me and I nod letting her know it is okay, she has a right to have a say in this as well.

"Yes, Bethie. I will help."

"Okay, so what are you thinking Rachel?" Beth turns back to me.

"I think we should give her a chance to recovery. I don't want to end it so soon. I believe that our mom is a fighter and I think maybe, just maybe she can pull through. What are you thinking?"

"I think you are right. Mommy is strong. She never cries, even when she gets hurt, so I think she will be okay. Maybe we should wait a couple of days."

"I agree. Why don't we see what happens a week from now."

"Okay, Rachie."

"Marley, are you okay with that?" I ask. She nods. I look at Kurt for the first time in this whole conversation. He is overcome with emotion and is trying to stay as quiet as he can. He is looking at Mom and whispering something. "I am going to find the doctor and let her know what we have decided."

A week later to the day, nothing has changed. Beth hasn't left Mom's side, except at night when we force her to go home and sleep. I have not been sleeping. I stay up every night, praying, asking for my Mom to come back to me. Kurt left a day after our decision, but comes to visit every day. The Glee club members that are still in town have come to visit as well.

Today is the day we decided on making our decision. Right now they are doing some more tests to see if anything has changed. Beth, Marley and I are waiting in Dr. Stevens' office, waiting for her to come back. She arrives within a few moments.

"Girls, nothing has changed. Shelby is still brain dead. Do you want to go through with your decision?" I look over at Beth who is not clinging to Marley, crying. She looks over at me and nods. I still do not understand how a six year old is so strong.

"Yes. We do. Can we say goodbye first?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way. First I need you to sign the paperwork, and then I will give you some time. Just let me know when you are ready."

"Okay thank you." I sign all of the required paperwork then we are heading to Mom's room.

"Rachel. I want to go first. I don't want to be in there when she dies."

"Are you sure Beth?"

"Yes. Marley can you come with me?"

Marley nods and they walk into the room. I stand by the door. I want to hear what is being said.

After a couple of minutes, I hear Marley start. "Shelbs, I don't even know where to begin. Ever since my mom and I had the fight that led to me finding you, my life has improved. I will forever cherish the memories I have with you and Bethie. I have enjoyed the talks and stories. I am so glad that you and Rachel were able to talk before all of this happened because I know that is all you have wanted for the longest time. I will never be able to express what you mean to me. You were like my mom. I love you Shelby. So so much." I hear a sob escape her and it breaks my heart. I am guess Beth is about to say what she wants, I lean in closer to hear what she has to say.

"Mommy. I know that you are not my real mom, and I am okay with that. I am not sure if I want to know my real mom because, you are that to me. They will never be able to take your place. They will not know how to care for me like you did." She hiccups through her sobs. "How will they know how to brush my hair to keep it from knotting up? Will they check my nose boogies? Will they check my ears and eyes like you did? Will they know how to make my favorite meal, French toast? I don't want another mommy. I want you. I love you mommy." Beth cries for a little while longer. When they come out of the room, both of their eyes are puffy and red. Beth runs into my arms and squeezes me tightly.

"Hey, Hey Kiddo. She is going to be in such a better place. I know it. She will be looking down on you at all times. Laughing when you do something funny, and smiling when you make her proud. Never forget her, okay baby? Never. She loved you more than anything in this world."

"I know, Rachie. I love you."

"I love you too, kiddo." Beth and Marley walk away, so I guess it means that it is my turn to say the goodbyes. I sit down on the edge of her bed and take in her face for the last time. The amazing jaw lines, the perfect skin. God what I would give to see her eyes again. I immediately begin to cry. I just sit here and cry for about 15 minutes before I finally calm down enough to talk.

"Mom, oh how it is so unfair. I will never get to call you that again. This started out as a fun get together with my friends from high school and now I am telling you goodbye, for the last time. Part of me wonders if this was meant to happen. Maybe I was just not meant to have a relationship with you, I mean we have tried so many times but something always happens. I was hoping that this time would be different. I needed you all those years ago, at the piano when we sang "Poker Face", I just didn't think you needed me and I didn't want to be a burden. I knew that you were what I needed and I hoped that you would eventually find out you needed me too. Now that you have, I have to pull the plug and take your life. It is so not fair. I have always needed you, Mom. I love you so much and it is killing me to do this. I wish you would have gotten better. I know you can hear us, I know you heard us cry and beg and plead for you to come back to us this past week. Why didn't you? Why won't you do it now? Prove all of the doctors wrong, come back to us. Please, Mommy, just come back." I watch her for any sign of life and when there isn't one. I lean down and place a kiss on her lips. I lie down and cuddle with her for the first and last time in my life. I take in her scent, which is amazing she still has her own smell, considering she has been in a hospital bed for a week. I get up and kiss her one last time. "I love you, mom. So much." I walk out of the room to find Dr. Stevens. I let Marley and Beth know that it is about to happen and I ask Beth if she is sure she doesn't want to be there. She shakes her head and buries it in Marley's neck.

We go back into the room. They turn off all of the machines and unhook them from my mother's lifeless body, all except for the heart monitor. I guess they have to do this so that they can get a time of death for the death certificate. I keep my eyes on the heart rate as it begins to drop. Everyone has left the room, except the nurse. She is standing in the door, giving me my privacy. I reach over and grab my mom's hand. I don't want her to go, alone. Pretty quickly the heart rate drops to zero and there is a flat line on the screen. I sob hysterically. She is gone. We make up and less than an hour later, I never get the chance to talk to her again. I sit there knelt over her body crying. It is over.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I know a lot of you were upset that I killed Shelby off. I hope this makes up for it. I told you that this was a Shelby Rachel story and I meant it. Hopefully, you all forgive me. :)**

**AN#2: I did not send this to my beta because I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. So any mistakes are mine and mine alone. The next chapter will be longer and beta'd. **

**Enjoy!**

After a couple of minutes of sitting over my mother, I decide to get up. I grab my things and make my way for the door, when the nurse pulls me into a hug. In the middle of the hug, the nurse screams. I turn around and look at my mother; she has to be the only reason to cause the scream. I see her arm moving, I look up to the heart monitor and sure enough there is a heartbeat, it is weak but it is there. I rush to her side and grab her hand. The nurse has run out to get Dr. Stevens, Marley, and Beth.

"Momma, come on momma. I know you can do this. Wake up." Almost as soon as the words left my mouth, my mom's eyes fluttered open. I instantly become a puddle of tears. I give it a squeeze and amazingly she returns the gesture, just not as strong. I look at her face and see a small smile grace her lips. "I love you so much, momma." She gives my hand a small squeeze again.

Dr. Stevens rushes into the room with tears in her eyes. She checks her vitals and everything comes back normal. She turns to me and offers a small smile. "I don't want to get your hopes up yet, Rachel. We need to take her to run a couple of tests before we let you know what is going on." I nod as they wheel her out of the room. Marley and Beth come in shortly after they leave with mom. Beth rushes into my arms.

"What happen, Rachie?"

"I am not sure yet, kiddo. After they removed the machines she flat lined. I was on my way out of the room when the nurse screamed. When I turned around I saw the heart monitor had a heart beat again and momma was waking up. When she woke up she squeezed my hand and smiled at me. Then Dr. Stevens ran in and whisked her off for some tests. That is all I know as of right now."

"You know, I have heard of this kind of thing happening before, but I didn't believe it was real." Marley says. I just nod and pull Beth closer to me. We sat in complete silence, all wrapped up in our own thoughts when they brought mom back into the room. Dr. Steven's was right behind the gurney. Beth jumps out my arms and hop on the bed with our mom, who is fast asleep…I hope.

"Rachel and Marley, can I speak with you in the hall?" Marley jumps up and heads toward the door and I am right on her heels. Before we step outside, I remind Beth to be careful and not wake mom up. I can feel my heart in my throat waiting for the news. "I don't know what to say, girls. In all of my years of working in the hospital, I have never seen this happen. The tests came back perfect, as if nothing ever happened. Your mother is perfectly fine, Rachel. I just, I can't explain it. We are going to keep her a few more days just to keep a close eye on her, but according to the tests, she should be just fine. I am so happy for all of you." I am in tears again. Looking over at Marley, I see that she was in tears as well.

"I do have a couple of questions, though."

"Okay, what's up?"

"How should we address this whole situation with her? Should we keep an eye out for something specific? Are you sure she is fine?

"Take your time, I would tell her everything, but so it slowly and cautiously. I would just keep an eye out for anything out of the normal. She may vomit, that is normal, just keep an eye out on the color. If it seems reddish then call a nurse right away, it could be a sign of internal bleeding as well. However, I do think she will be fine. According to all of the tests and her vitals, Ms. Corcoran is perfectly fine." I fling myself into her arms.

"Thank you so much for everything, Dr. Stevens."

"You are very welcome, Rachel."

Upon returning to the room, we see that mom is awake and laughing with Beth. Beth is cuddled into mom's side, clinging to her for dear life. Mom looks up and sees us walking back into the room. Marley runs to her side and grabs her hand, crying again.

"Oh, Shelby, I was so worried. I am so glad that you are okay. You scared me so much. I don't know what I would do without you. I love you so, so much."

"Marley Bear, I would never leave you girls." She says before looking up at me and winking. "I love you too. Could you take Beth to the cafeteria to get something to eat? She mentioned that she was hungry. Plus I would like to talk with Rachel for a moment."

"Sure, Shelbs. Come on Bethie. Let's let Rachie and your mom talk for a minute." Beth gets up after kissing mom on the forehead and hugging her one last time. She makes her way to me and motions to be picked up. Once I have her up in my arms, she squeezes my neck so tight and hug her back just a tight.

"Are you going to tell her what happened?" She whispers in my ear.

"I am not sure yet, kiddo."

"Okay. I think you should. I love you Sissy." I melt at the new nickname. I have to admit, she is a cute kid.

"I love you too, baby." Marley and Beth leave as I sit on the edge of mom's bed. She instantly reaches out and grabs my hand pulling me to her in a bone crushing hug.

"I love you so much baby girl. Thank you so much for still being here and taking care of my Bethie."

"You're welcome mom. I love you too. We were so scared when you went into the coma."

"I know you were and I know that you guys had to pull the plug, I could hear all of you but I just couldn't wake up no matter how hard I tried. I knew I had to fight for you girls. I wasn't ready to leave just like you girls all weren't ready for me to either."

"So you already know that we pulled the plug?"

"Yes, baby, and I am not mad. I would have done the same thing. I am just glad that I have this second chance with you, and this time I am never going to let you go. I need you in my life, Baby Girl; your mom is here to stay."

"Oh, Mommy. I am not letting you go, even if you wanted too." Mom pulls me into her again and I cuddle with her like a little girl. I lay my head on her chest and listen to her heartbeat. It is the most amazing sound I have ever heard.

"Go ahead, Baby Girl, go to sleep. Mommy is here to stay. I love you." I find myself slip into the most relaxing sleep I have had in a couple of days, if not a week.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all for the amazing feedback. I was worried that once I killed Shelby, many of you would leave, but I am glad that you didn't. I did say this was a Shelby and Rachel story, and I plan to keep it that way.**

**I am going to skip forward a few days, to when Shelby is home and settled.**

**Enjoy. :) **

A few weeks have passed since we brought mom home. Doctor Stevens gave her the all clear and said she should be just fine. I called my agent in New York and informed her with everything that had happened. She said that we should release a statement, especially with the Tony Awards coming up in a about a month and a half. I declined and said that my personal life was just that, personal. I told her that I would be staying here for a few more weeks. Noah has been here almost every day. He comes early in the morning and stays until right before dinner. He put off his move to stay here with me a little longer. I guess you could say that we are working on a relationship. I know Shelby is grateful that he is here because the first couple of days, I was driving her crazy by worrying so much. Kurt headed back the day after Shelby came home, and told me he would take care of things in New York for me.

I am sitting at the computer, answering emails, when I hear the doorbell ring. I jump up and run to answer it. I am shocked when I see Quinn standing on the other side of the door.

"Hey, Rach."

"Quinn, come in." I say, giving her a small hug.

"Thanks." She returns the hug and we make our way to the living room, where I see mom sitting on the couch watching Law and Order: SVU reruns. She looks up, mutes the television, and smiles at us. I plop down next to her, but Quinn is hesitant at first.

"Make yourself at home, Quinn." Mom says with a soft smile as Quinn opts to sit in the chair across from us.

"I am sorry for barging in here like this, but I have a question and I figured it would be better to ask in person, rather than over the phone." She states.

"What is it, Q?" I ask her, a little worried.

"Actually, it is for Shelby, and it is kind of private"

"Oh alright, well I am going to head back to answer some more emails. Come see me when you finish talking. I wanted to ask you something." I say, getting up.

"Sure thing."

I make my way back to my room. About 20 minutes have passed since I've returned to my room, and I haven't heard any yelling, so it must be going okay. I grab my planner and lay across my bed, when there is a knock on my door.

"Come in, Quinn." I sit up to make room for her on the bed. I can see that she has been crying. _Oh god, if she is crying, is mom okay? Is she crying? I knew I shouldn't have left them alone._

"You wanted to ask me something?" She asks.

"Yes, but I want to know what is going on. Why are you crying? Is mom okay?"

"Yes, Rachel, everything is fine. I was just talking to Shelby about being able to see Beth more and she agreed that it was a good idea."

"Really?! That's great! That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." I see her stiffen and she immediately begins playing with her hands. I grab them and smile. "It's not bad, stop distressing. So you are still in Philly, correct?" She nods, so I continue. "I was thinking about asking mom to move her and Beth to New York and I was going to see if maybe you would be interested in keeping Beth maybe once a month for a weekend. I know she needs to get to know you before we just let her stay with you over a weekend, but she has been asking me about her birth mother. I just figured that we could let you get to know each other before we tell her that you are her mother. I haven't mentioned moving to Shelby yet, but we have talked about letting you and Beth get to know each other."

I look up to see Quinn in tears again. "Of Course, Rach. I would love to keep her. I would give anything to be a part of her life, in any way that Shelby would allow me." She hugs me, tightly. "Thank you so much."

"You are welcome, Quinn. I just told Shelby that I would have given anything to have her in my life, and Beth shouldn't have to spend her whole life wondering who her mom is and if she wants to be in her life. She agreed. She already agreed to allowing the weekend visits, after a few times of you and Beth hanging out and getting to know each other."

"Great. So when do you plan on asking her about moving to New York?"

"Actually, tonight. Kurt has been looking for places in New York these past two weeks and he has found two amazing places, not too far from us. I plan on showing her his pictures and videos tonight."

"Well then, I will get out of here so you can talk to her. Let me know how it goes and if I can help."

"Thanks." I say as we make our way to the door. I hug her one last time, this one being more sincere than the last one.

I find mom in the same position as she was when Quinn first arrived. When I sit down, she places her hand on my leg.

"Mom, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, Baby Girl, what's up?"

"I have a proposition for you."

"Oh no, I don't know if I like the sound of this, Rach." She smiles.

"Just hear me out, okay?" She nods. "Okay, so you know how Kurt went back to New York to handle some things for me? Well, I actually sent him apartment hunting. He has found two amazing apartments. So I was wondering if you would consider moving to New York so that we could be closer. I mean I have gotten so close to Bethie and you, and I don't want to be 9 hours away from either one of you. I want to be in the same city as you, and you know I can't really just up and leave the City right now. So do you think that maybe you could come up there? I mean I understand if you don't want to, I know that you and Beth are settled here, and you just got over being sick, and this may not be the best time to ask you, but I thought that maybe you would. You know what, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned thi-" Mom places her hand over my mouth.

"Rachel, breathe sweetie." She smiles. I give a small smile back. "I would love to be closer to you. I have been doing my own research as well. I just didn't want to say anything until I found the perfect place. So why don't you take me to your room and show me the places you have found."

Before she can move, I fling myself into her arms. I can't believe she wants to move near me. She drags me into my room. I show her the first place and she gasps.

"Oh, Rachel, I love this one. I don't even need to see the second one."

"Really, are you sure?"

"Yes. This one is perfect. When is it available?"

"In two weeks. I can have Kurt place the deposit on it tomorrow morning."

"What about my stuff? I don't know if I should be moving all of this stuff."

"It is already taken care of, all I have to do is make a phone call and I can have it all boxed and moved on the move in date and then when you get there everything will be unpacked and ready for you. I want to make this as stress free as I can."

She stands me up and sits in my computer chair, pulling me down into her lap. I lay my head on her shoulder, taking in every moment I can with her. Before long, I feel her shoulder begin to shake. I look up to see her softly crying.

"Mom, what's wrong? Are you okay? Am I hurting you?" I say going to get up, but she holds me down.

"No, Baby Girl, I am fine. I am just so happy. Less than a month ago I didn't think I would ever be able to hold my baby and now here I am not only holding her, but I am about to move less than 5 blocks from her. I am just so happy. I have two amazing girls; I am the luckiest woman in the world." I smile and cuddle even closer to her.

We make our way to the couch after a few minutes and put in a movie before we have to go get Beth from school.

"So are we going to tell Beth tonight?" I ask.

"I think we should. What are you going to tell Noah?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, are you two working on a relationship?" I nod. "So how is it going to work if he is in California and you are in NYC?"

"Oh, you haven't heard? He is moving to New York at the end of the month. He is a really talented writer, so he is going to try to get into the playwright business."

"That's great, honey!"

"I know. So how do you feel about Noah, and now Quinn, being around Bethie more?"

"Well you know, after our talk, I did a lot of thinking. I know what I felt every minute of every day that I wasn't around you and it was horrible. I wouldn't wish that feeling on my worst enemy. Plus, I have heard you and Beth talking at night and I know she wants to know her parents, and it would be wrong to keep them from her, so I am okay with it, as long as they continue to respect me."

"Good. I don't know that much about Quinn, but I do know that Noah wants to be in her life for good. He talks about her all the time."

"I am glad." We fall into a comfortable silence to finish the movie. I feel my eyelids getting heavy so I lay down in mom's lap and drift softly off to sleep.

"I love you so much, Baby Girl. Thank you for being so amazing."

"Love you too, mommy." I say sleepily.

**If you guys have any ideas, please let me know. Do you think I am rushing to this relationship? Should Quinn be a good person for the family or should she be up to no good? Let me know.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I am so sorry that it has taken me forever to update. I have been super busy preparing for my recital. I am singing Brave by Idina Menzel and it is a tough one for me. Also, where I work we are short staffed so I am working some crazy hours. However, things are beginning to slow down so I will be able to write more. **

**Enjoy! :)**

_We go to the school to pick Beth up together. We have decided that we want to tell her about the move over Ice Cream._

"_Hey Kiddo." I say as she gets in the black Range Rover._

"_Hey Rachie! Hey, Mom!"_

"_Beth, Rachel and I need to ask your opinion on something big. What do you say we go get some ice cream and talk?"_

"_I love ice cream! Wait, am I in trouble?"_

"_No, not at all sweetie."_

Mom and Beth moved in two weeks ago. Things are going great. Beth loves her new school and has made several friends. Puck now lives with Kurt and me and is working with one of my instructors from NYADA on his first musical. Quinn has been coming to visit almost every weekend, and Beth really seems to like her. In fact, Beth is with Quinn right now. They went out to see the newest animated movie and to get dinner.

"Rachel! Are you home?" I hear mom scream across the house before the door slams behind her.

"In my room, Mom!" I yell back. Mom walks in with a smile on her face. She plants a kiss on my cheek before making herself comfortable on my bed.

"Are you busy, Baby?"

"No, not at all. What's up?" I ask, turning away from my laptop to face her.

"Come sit with me, we need to talk." I slowly get up and head to the bed. I really do hate those words.

"Okay. Talk to me." I say, cautiously.

"I'm thinking we should tell Beth about Quinn and Puck." I am confused. She must be able to read the confusion on my face as she continues. "I think she should tell Beth that Puck and Quinn are her biological parents. I know that it may be too soon, but since they are always around and spending a lot of time with her, she deserves to know."

"Really? I think it is a great idea. I can't speak for Quinn but I know Puck would love to be able to tell Beth." I say with the biggest smile gracing my face.

"When Quinn gets back here with Beth, will you take Beth up and start her bath while I talk to Quinn and Puck about this? If they say yes, I think we should tell her tonight."

"Sure, Mom. Are you nervous?" I ask changing the tone of the conversation.

"Of course. What if Beth decides that she wants them more than me? Or worse, what if she hates me for never telling her in the first place?" Mom looks down at her hands.

"I don't think she will hate you. I also do not believe that she will want them more than you. I mean, when I found out about you, sure I wanted you in my life, but I still wanted my dads there too. I didn't hate my dads from keeping me from you. I wasn't happy about the contract but I realized it was for my own protection. Plus, I believe it is better to tell her now than to wait until she is, I don't know, eighteen."

"Yeah, I guess you are right." I lean in to hug my mom. This parenting thing is so difficult.

About two hours later, Beth and I are in the bathroom for her bath. I fill the tub with warm water and put some of her favorite bubble bath in the tub. Once she is in and settled, I get comfortable on the floor next to her. I decide that we need to have a little talk ourselves.

"Kiddo, you know I love you right?"

"Yeah, Rachie. I know. I love you too." Her smile reaches her eyes and she looks just like Puck when she looks up at me.

"Good, and you know that if you ever needed anyone to talk to, I will listen right? If you feel like mom might get mad at you, come to me. If mom makes you mad, come to me."

"Yes. What is this about, Rachie?"

"Nothing. I just want you to know that I am going to be the best big sister any kid has ever had. I love you very much." I say, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"You already are."

After she finishes bathing, I wrap her up in my big fluffy towel and carry her to my room. I dry her off, give her a pair of her panties and one of my NYADA t-shirts. It swallows her whole and she looks even more adorable than before. We head down to the kitchen to get her a glass of chocolate milk before we go into the living room and join Mom, Quinn, and Puck. I take the seat next to Puck and Beth crawls into Mom's lap. I can tell that Quinn has been crying and Puck kisses me like he has never kissed me before, so full of love and gratitude.

"Bethie, are you up for a little family talk?" I hear Mom ask Beth. I look up in time to see Beth nod her head. "Okay, so do you remember me telling you that you were adopted and that I am your adoptive mother?" Beth nods again. "Do you remember how I told you that your biological mom and dad loved you very much and only wanted what was best for you?"

"Yes, Mommy, I remember. You said that they loved me so much and couldn't take care of me so they gave me to you so you could take care of me and be my mommy. That one day they would be back in my life but you would always be my mommy."

"That's right, baby. Well your biological mommy and daddy are back."

"Are they going to take me away? Do I have to live with them? I don't want to live with them. I want you, Rachie, Aunt Quinn, and Uncle Puck. Don't make me go with them, Mommy."

"Baby, you aren't going anywhere and we are all still going to be here with you." Mom says running her hand through Beth's hair to calm her down. "Beth, honey, your mom and dad are sitting right here. Aunt Quinn and Uncle Puck are you biological mom and dad. They love you very much." Beth doesn't say anything at first. She just stares at me, practically begging me to say something to her.

"Kiddo, what's going on in that head of yours?" Beth gets up from mom's lap and walks over to Quinn. She motions for Quinn to come down to her level and she examines her face. She then moves on to Puck and does the same thing. Then she comes to me and whispers in my ear.

"Is it true, Rachie? Are they really my parents?"

"Yeah, Kiddo, they are and they love you very much." I whisper back.

Beth looks at all of us again, tears slowly welling up in her hazel eyes. I reach out to grab her to give her a hug but she pulls away from me and runs upstairs to my guest room, her bedroom. Quinn starts to get up, tears spilling out of her eyes, but I motion for her to stop.

"I know you are worried, but I think it would be best if I go upstairs and talk to her. I had something a little similar to her situation happen in my life." I cast a sad glance at mom. Quinn nods and I head upstairs. When I reach her door I notice that it is locked. Really?! What child locks themselves in a bedroom? This is just like something I would do when I was younger. Hell, this was almost as good of a storm out as mine. Almost.

"Beth, it's Rachie, can we talk baby?"

"No. Go away." That hurt. I know she is just upset but still, it hurts.

"You know I have been through something like this before. Maybe I can help you. Answer some questions or just hold you, something."

"Okay, but it better be just you." I hear her get off of the bed and slowly unlock the door. She peaks around the side of the door and quickly opens it and slams it shut again, locking it behind us. For the longest time we just sit on the bed in silence.

"You are always honest with me right?"

"Of course, Kiddo. That is our thing."

"You were adopted right?" She asks gently.

"Sure was."

"When you found mommy the first time, she didn't want you right?"

"Uhmm. I am not so sure it was the fact she didn't want me as much as the fact she was scared."

"So she left you again because she was scared of you?"

"Well, not really of me. Maybe of being a mother again. When I found her the first time you were still in Quinn's tummy. She wasn't really sure if she was made for this mothering thing."

"But she adopted me. So she must have been ready."

"Well later on she realized that she did want a child just not a grown one. She wanted a baby. She wanted to have a fresh start. I was old and almost grown."

"Oh, well how do I know Quinn and Puck are not going to get scared and leave me too? I know I can be a handful. I mean after all I am only six, just wait till my teen years."

"They wouldn't have cared about you running up here if they weren't committed. In fact, when I headed up here Quinn was crying. She loves you kiddo, and I know Puck does too. He has cried many nights because he wanted you to know the truth. They will never leave you, I promise."

She hesitated at first then crawled into my lap. "But Mommy still wants me right? She isn't going to leave me?"

"No, Baby, mommy will always be your mommy. Look at it this way, now you have double mommies which means double the presents and double the love and hugs and kisses."

"Really?!"

"Yes. Trust me I know." I gave her a soft smile.

"Do you think they are still down there?"

"I know they are."

"I think I am ready to go back down."

"Okay, if you are sure."

"I am. I need to apologize for my storm out."

"Okay, let's go, Kiddo." She gets up off of my lap and grabs my hand. We get to the top of the stairs and I can see Shelby consoling Quinn and Puck. Beth tugs at my hand causing me to look down. "Yes?"

"Thanks for coming after me. I love you, and you are the best sissy in the world."

"No problem, babe. I love you too."


End file.
